Cody, also known as Milford C., left New York and moved west, eventually settling in Michigan by 1860 when he was living with the family of Dr. Albert Bomtul (?) in Hastings, Barry County. Also living with the same family was Henry Kingsbury who would enlist in Company K, and next door lived James Birdsall who, along with his son Daniel, would also enlist in the Third Michigan. Another resident of Hastings, Isaac Reed would also enlist in Company K and was possibly related to Cody.

Cody was 17 years old and probably still living in Hastings when he enlisted in Company K on May 13, 1861. He was reported sick in the hospital in August of 1862, and allegedly deserted on September 21 at Upton’s Hill, Virginia.

He returned to the Regiment on October 9 at Upton’s Hill, and transferred to the United States cavalry at Carlisle Barracks, Pennsylvania on November 13, 1862. He reportedly served some 19 months in Company F, Fifth United States cavalry, and was probably mustered out in June of 1864 at the end of his term of service.

In any case, he was probably in Syracuse, New York when he enlisted on September 5, 1864 at the age of 23 and under the name of as Milford C. Reed in Battery E, First New York Light Artillery, and was mustered the same day. He was mustered out of service on June 16, 1865 at Elmira, New York.

It is not known if Cody returned to Michigan after he left the army.

He married New York native Angeline (b. 1851) and they had at least one child: Nellie (b. 1872).

They were living in New York in 1872, and by 1880 he was probably working as a commercial traveler (salesman) and living with his wife and daughter in Buffalo’s Third Ward, Erie County, New York.

In 1890 (?) he was living in New York when applied for and received a pension (no. 680607) for his service in the Third Michigan infantry, Fifth U. S. Cavalry and First New York Light Artillery.

Cody died on February 18, 1894, in the Marion National Military Home, in Marion, Indiana, but was apparently not buried in the national cemetery in Marion (he may have been admitted and buried as Milford Reed).